Cooler-chamber construction



Sept. 22, 1925.

Filed De. 23. 1924 INVE N T E] H och T Tr/?gran ATTUENEY.

mun,

Patented Sept. 22, 1925.

UNITED S'IX c-TES ENOCH T. FERNGREN,` OF TOLEDO OHIO,

ASSIGNOR TO THE LIBBEY-OXVENS SHEET GLASS COMPANY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPOR-ATION OF OHIQ.

COO'LER-CHAMBER CONSTRUCTION,

,application filed Deember 23, 1924. Serial Ne. ?57,605.

To all whom it may conccru:

Be it known that I. ENoerr T. FnuNonnN,

a cit-izen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the County of Lucas and State of Ohio, have inventcd new and useful Improvements in Coolcr-Chamher Construc-` tion, of which the following is a specific&- tion.

The present invention relates to sheet glass drawing ap nratis, and hasparticular reference 'to an in'proved cooling cham- `ber and draw-pot- An important object of the invention is to provide a. cooling chainber wherein the molten glass passing -tron the tank *turnace to the draw-pot Will he so conditioned that it Will have a unit'ern lowered temperature and approxinated equal flow veloeity throughout its entire Width when reaching the point from where the sheet is drawn.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cooling chanber tor use in sheet glass apparatus wherein the central relatively hot glass is so acted upon that 'it will have substantially thesane temperature and velecity of flow as 'the horder portions of the flow. 4

A still further object of the invention is to provide a cooling chainher for sheet glass apparatuswherein the central portion of the flow of glass Will be made relatvely colder 'while the border portion lows Will be, retained relatively hot to equalize the tenperature conditions throughout the entire width of the stream of glass passing therethrough.

Other objects and advantages of the in- Vention Will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawings Wherein t'or the. purposes of illustration is shown the preterred einbodim'ent of the invention.--

Fig. l is a fragn'entary longitudiual section through a portion of a sheet glass apparatus illustrating my improved form of cooling chamber, k

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, i

F ig. 3 is a top plan thereof,

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of a slightly modified construction, and V Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section through another form of apparatus.

The type of apparatus herein disclosed employs the apparatus a :l process set forth in the Colhurn Patent ho. 12485809, granted December 4, 1917, vherein a quantity of In this type ot' Construction it has been found that unless prccautions are taken the central flow of glass through the refining and cooling chanhers and in the draw-pot Will he relatively switter than the horder portions, while at the same tine thiscentral flow of glass will have a relatively higher temperature.

This has e; used an unequal quantity flow of glass to dii'erent portions of the glass containing space of the draw-pot, and it has been largely responsible tor any irregularh ties in the sheet being' drawn. The nolten glas" froni which the sheet is drawn has a tendency to drag along; its edges hecause o't its relatively lower temperature and inherenttendeney to cling to the side walls of the chamhers tl'rough which it passes.

It is an object of the present iuvcntion to equalize tar as possible the temperature conditions throughout the flow of 'lass as well as the speed ot flow so (hat the glass when reach ing a point where it is drawn into sheet form, will he suhstantilly of a uniforni nature.

In the drawin 's wherein like nun'crals are em'ployed to desgnate like paris throughmt the same, the numeral 10 (lesigzhs the tank furnace, the nuneralll the cooling chan her; and 12 the draw-pot The sheet 13 is drawn 'froni` the pot 12 hy any suitable apparatus.

The form of cooling chanheheroin em ployed comprises a floor or hotton 14 which is provided with the raised portion or hump 15 centrally thoreo'f and gradually spread: ing out so that chanucls 16 are substantially forned at the horder portions of said chamher. Fig. 3 shows a top plan of the projecton 15. i

Due to the raising up of a portion of the bottom ot the cooling' chamher it will be seen that the central fiow ot glass is reduced in depth, thus having a tendency to lower the temperature thereot. In addition ther is a greater surface for the central glass to adhere to, thus having a'tendeney tdretard the flow of glass over this point. .Te assist in lowering the temperature of the glas to higher in the center than the edges of the` chambers, thus presenting more space above the center of the glass flow for leat Currents -than at the eclges. This is another one of the reasons why the central flow of glass has licen'in'orerapid than-required. I

In the present form the cover-arch 17 is so forned that its highest points'nreat the ends as at -18, while the center 19 iS'relatively lower. This will create` larger poekets along the edges ot' the cooling chamber so that an increased heat cohinn or volnme of heat will be had along these portions, and' also the heat which is collected and thrown back to the glass from the arch will now be directed toward the sides of the glass stream. To further assist the reduction'of temperature along the center flow ot glass, a cooling chamber 20 nay be disposed within the cover-arch 17 or partially countcrsunk therein as shown in Fig. y

The insulation block 21 will largely prevent radiation of heat from the side and bottom walls ot the cooling cnamher ll adjacent Channels 16, and then build np or increase the heat energy present in said walls at their inner faces Where the glass Contacts.

lVith this form of const-ruct-ion the glass flowing into the cooling chamhcr will he I'C- projection 15 may be formecl as in Fig. 3,

" ili Wherein it extends a' substantial distance within the draw-pot 12, or it may he confinecl entirely to the' cooling chainber as in Fig. 5. The cooling medium passing thronghth'e coolers 17 and 20 may eitherhe compressed air or a cold fluid.

The thing which is being (lone from a point ot View of method treatment of the. glass is this, that the heet Volume of the furnace portion ll, whiehnorinally has its center of greatest heat Volume of the cooling chamber 11, is now divided intotwo heat volumes, each having' their center of most positive heatvalne at the vertical side'walls of the Channels 16, which will give a reletively higher rate offlnency to 'the glass at.

these localities, reducing the retarding effect ot the side walls of the Channels 16, and in fact establishing the center for least 'resistance to glass movement near these walls,

which in turn will cause the hot glass to constantly advance from the furnace into the pot mainly along a stream path through each channel 16, thereby also constantly be positioned beneath the 'driven at' a siower w while the sheet may above the central flow of seid streai neserme perpetnating these two separate heat eenters by the relatvely greater release of 'heat energy from theglass cause& at these points.

he insulaton material 21 as placed serves to retain thc heat in the deeper' substratum of the glass, and thus increases its mobility. s i

The' sheet supplying gless stream tr'eated' in this fashion will advance less as e stream' jan& more as a cohesive unit-formation toward the line of draw of the sheet, and will normally have less'edhesion to the walis of the pot 'if the same are properly heated. The relatively deeper forward or closed end .of the pot li shown in Fig. 1 promotes under-current glass movement thereto aslth'e ance to glass movement into the sheet from this portion of the glass body soethet reletively more glass will move, ami he free 'to move in response to drawin action, which insures a more constant an active "emptying out and replacement of'the giass in this end of the pot; also this deeper portion of the nool of glass will always retain more v hoat being ferl from the now much hotter substratun going through the channels 18, which promotes nnitorm flnency.

The knurlecl 'roile-rs 3:2 may nov: also s in heretofore, r :ewn at tester rate, as the conalition which preispo sheet to pul] thin at the center is .now eliminaterl Claims:

l. in sl -t giassae s ns, incl g cooling ehainher, me us' :for eontnnsusly assing a stream. of miree glass therethrongh, means tor reta rding the flow of the central portion of the stream, and means tor increasing the column ot heat above the border portion ot said stream of gluss,

In sheet glass apparatus, including a coolingchamber, means 'for continaously passing a stream of molten glass there through, means for retarding the flow ot the central portioniot the'stream, anti means for absorhing a `'portion of the heat from the heat column dispose ehove the center of said stream. I u r i In sheet glass apparatns including a cooling chamber, ineans for continnously passing 'a 'stream of molten glass therethrough', and means 'for absorbing a portion of the hoat from the heart column present e. in, sheet "glass' apparatus, including a cooling" chamber, .means for continnously' passing a stream of` 'molten gla& therethrough,-means for rducing' the depth of the central flow of said stream, and means for Iowerinr the temperature thereof.

- 5. A cooling chamber for use` in sheet ing'an upwardlyinclinecl portion, side'walls sheet is being drawn and recluees the resist- (W Go 'glass appar tus, comprisin'g .a bottom hav- ;4

and a cover therefor, said cover being arched downwardly.

6. A cooling chamber for' use in sheet glass apparatus, comprising a bottom having an inclined portion, 'side Walls, a cover therefor, the central portion of side cover being relatively closer to the bottom of the cooling cham ber than the side portions.

7. A cooling chamber for use in sheet glass apparatus, comprisin a bottom having a raised portion extend ing centrally thez'eof, side walls and a cover therefor, and a cooler associated therewith.

8. A cooling chamber for use in sheet glass apparatus, comprising a bottom; having a raised portion extendng centrally thereof, side Walls and a cover therefor being arched downwardly, and a cooler associated with the center of said cover.

' 9. A cooling chamber for use in sheet glass apparatus, comprising a bottom having a raised portion ar'anged centrally thereof, a

cooler associated with; the raised portion, side walls, a, cover arch, being arched downwardly and having a portion relatively close to the raised portion of the bottom, and a cooler asmciated with the cover arch.

10. The process of producing sheet glass, consisting n flowing a stream of molten glass to a point where it can be drawn ofi' in sheet form, in a manner that heat is absorbed from the central flow of the stream from the top and the bottom thereof. i

11. The process of producing sheet glass, consisting in flowing a. stream of molten glass to a point where it may be drawn off in sheet form, in a manner thatthe central flow of the stream is retarded in its movement, and then absorbing heat from the central flow both from the top' and the bottom.

12. Theprocess of producing sheet glass', conssting in flowng a stream ,of molten glass from. which a sheet of glass is to he p drawn through a cooling chemher, Wherein the speed of fiow and the temperature of the glass can be made uniform throughout the entire width of the flow by creating a reletively short column of heat above the oentral flow of the stream, and a relatively high column along both edge portions thereof.

13. The process of producing sheet glass, consisting in fiowing. a stream of molten glass from which a sheet of glass is to .be drawn through a cooling chamher, Wherein the speed of fiow and the temperature of the glass can be made uniform throughout the entire width of the flow by retarding the central flow of the stream, and creating a relatively shorter heat column over the center flow than over the edge portions.

14. The process of eonditioning ai stream of molten glass for use in sheet glass mamifacture, consisting in flowing the stream through a cooling chamber, wherein the depth of the central flow of the stream. is reduced, and then absorbing heat t-herefrom.

15. The process of conditioning a stream fact ure, through depth of reduced,

ber, 1924. v

ENOCH T. FERNGREN.

.of molten glass for use in sheet glass manu- 

